1. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding Chapter 10

2. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Unit 10 Objectives: Outline life-cycle feeding programs for sheep Knowledge of nutrient needs and additive options Understand nutrient related diseases and disorders

3. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Largest single cost of production in all types of sheep operations  Must support optimum production, promote efficiency, be economical to feed, minimize metabolic problems  Breeding Flock Ewes are most important to sheep operations  Produce wool  Raise lambs  Both greatly influenced by nutrition

4. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding Genetics are important, but the feeding program is crucial Sheep producers can realize more income over investment than all other meat animal producers Recommended flock size is 100 or more ewes, minimum of 35 (1 ram) Choosing a Lambing System  Early Lambing (Jan-Feb)  Lamb prices are highest in May & June when most early lambs can be marketed  More labor available to tend to the flock

5. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Parasite problems are less and less severe  Stocking rate can be higher  Don’t need expensive facilities  Late Lambing (Mar-Apr)  Roughages can provide most of feed for ewes and lambs  Lambing facilities don’t need to be as good for early lambs  Less care and management needed before and during breeding season for good conception  Lambs can be marketed w/out feeding much concentrate  Lamb prices are substantially lower in fall & early winter

6. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  High quality pastures are a must  Parasite control is critical, risk for infestation is high Feed Requirements  1 ewe and her lambs  4 bu grain & 800 lbs of hay/yr  5-6 mos good pasture grazing, 2 mos winter pasture (or 800 lb more hay)  Poor quality hay = more grain supplementation Feeding for Maintenance  Mature ewes (3-8 yrs)  Feed enough to maintain physiological function from weaning until 15 wks gestation  Prevent weight loss in previous lactation

7. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Pasture is adequate for maintaining ewes, if good quality is available Feeding & Care at Breeding Time  Remove ewes from pasture ~2 wks before breeding season  Some research indicates hormone interferences with reproductive success while on legume pastures  Begin to condition the ewes in order to bring them into breeding about the same time and shorten lambing window

8. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding Feeding after Breeding  Gestation = 147-150d  First 3.5 mos  Maintain body condition with good pasture and/or hay  Last 1.5 mos  Poor care at this point can result in:  Lambing paralysis or pregnancy disease  Weak lambs  Drop in milk production  Low wool clip  Light wool clip  Energy requirements are increasing during this period  Protein, min/vit as well

9. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Rations may vary due to time of lambing Pasture Ewe Nutrition  Present and previous stocking rate of pasture greatly affects nutritional content  Overgrazed pastures are unproductive and unpalatable  Pasture forages  Grass plants  Utilize a mixture of cool/warm season grasses  Legumes  Can provide higher protein source than mature grasses

10. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Pasture supplementation  Depends on condition of the pasture  May have to supplement:  Energy, CP, P, Vit A, water  Use care to not increase cost too much Pregnancy Disease  Lambing Paralysis or Ketosis  Caused by lack of usable CHO’s  Usually affects older ewes (especially those carrying twins/triplets)  Most cases occur with ewes in poor condition  Acetone smell on the breath, lagging behind flock, staggering, paralysis

11. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Prevention  Increase energy content prior to lambing  Maintain proper body condition  Treatment  Administer molasses, propylene glycol, or dextrose solution  If exhibited by a group of ewes, add ¼ to ½ lb of molasses to diet Feeding the Lactating Ewe  Nutritional requirements are 2-3x greater than maintenance  Ewes w/ twin lambs produce 20-40% more milk than singles, nutritional requirements adjust accordingly

12. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Milk production peaks ~2-3 wks after lambing and lasts until ~8 th wk  Milk production of 3-6+ lbs daily  Milk provides primary source of nutrition for lambs for 1 st mo or 2  Don’t force the ewe to eat right away after lambing  Provide lots of clean/fresh water  Little bit of feed  Increase slowly about day 3  Splitting the amount fed/feeding decreases acidosis  Nursing 1 lamb = feed 1x/d  Nursing 2 lambs = feed 2x/d etc.

13. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Ensure proper mineral supplementation  Feeding Lambs New life  Must nurse w/in first hr  Most do w/in 30 min  Ensure proper antibody transfer to ewe to lamb  Consume at least 6-8 oz of colostrum  Bottle feed, if necessary  Largest portion of lamb loss due to starvation in 1 st wk  Orphan lambs, milk production problems, etc.  Triplets, and weak lambs

14. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Using milk replacer  Should switch quickly after birth  House in clean/dry area w/ other lambs  Goal is ½ to 1 lb milk replacer consumption/d  2 feedings  Wean ~3wks to reduce feeding cost and increase rate of gain in the lamb  Access to dry feed & water Feeding Market Lambs  Early lambs  Healthy lambs will begin eating dry feed at 10d of age  Creep feeding is recommended to increase weaning wts

15. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Weaning  25lb wt at 25-30 d artificially reared  18-19% CP diet fully fortified until 50lb BW  Lambs normally reared – no weaning necessary as ewe takes care of it ~40lbs  Reduce stress  Maximizing gain & conversions  10-16% CP diets  Should gain rapidly & efficiently until 75- 100lbs (especially crossbred lambs)  After 100lbs BW, reduce to 13-14% CP diet to save cost  Some producers will feed the same feed from creep until ~100lbs BW  Simplifies feeding  ~15% CP diets

16. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  For grow/finish lambs: shelled corn, hay, and supplement  BMP’s  Start lambs on complete pellet to ensure intake  Vaccinate for enterotoxemia 2x  Make gradual ration changes (7-10d)  Feed 2x/d at regular times  Feed high quality hay  >12” bunk space/lamb  Free choice salt, plenty of water

17. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Feeding methods  Self-feeding  Saves labor  Increases the grain feeding amount  Hand-feeding  Feed 2x/d  Easily identify lambs not eating/sick  Most used method when feeding silage  Pasture  Several options – can use early, then finish lambs on grain; pasture until finished  Takes longer to finish lambs on 100% pasture

18. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Reduces cost/lb gain  Keep rations vit fortified to reduce diseases, improve immune response  Late lambs  Good pasture is key  Top lambs can be marketed right off pasture  remaining lambs can be fed Enterotoxemia in Nursing Lambs  Overeating disease  Usually affects the largest, fastest gaining lambs

19. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Clostridium perfringens bacteria  Treat w/ antitoxin  Effective for 2-3 wks  Vaccination effective for 5-6 mos  Some vaccinate ewes 1 mo before lambing  Vaccinate early weaning lambs 2x prior to weaning  Vaccinate older lambs when moving Feeding Replacement Ewe Lambs  Breeding ewes as lambs to lamb at 1 yr of age (7-8 mos old)

20. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Advantages  Gets ewes in production sooner  Shortens generation interval, increases genetic progress  Increases lifetime production  Identifies most productive ewes  Keep replacement lambs off possible finished-type diets  Control diet to minimize over conditioning

21. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Miscellaneous Urea  Can be fed up to 1.5% of diet  Don’t use in creep rations, range rations, lamb rations w/ low energy  Grow/finish only  Mix carefully Additives & implants  Chlorotet/Oxytet in creep rations for nursing lambs & finishing rations improves gain & efficiency  Best response under stress conditions  Be aware of feeding rates

22. Unit 10: Sheep Feeding  Bovatec for Coccidiosis control  Ralgro  Results inconsistent  3-5% improvement in gains in nursing & feeder lambs  Ammonium sulfate or chloride .5% inclusion minimizes urinary calculi